The Tropics’ Olympics Dream
Issue 36 — Key Developments Across the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam
Editor’s Note
by Karen Ysabelle R. David, Lead Editor - Pacific Corridor Desk
It’s that long-awaited season once again: the 2026 Winter Olympics are now well underway in distant snowy Italy. But for the tropical city-state of Singapore and the rest of Southeast Asia, distance and climate are no obstacle to Olympic dreams. This year’s Games sees one of the highest number of ASEAN athletes to date, a sign of the changing times.
Vietnam dreams a different dream: that of peace. With General Secretary Tô Lâm currently in Washington for the inaugural meeting of United States President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, this could be an opportunity for Vietnam to not only strengthen its relations with both Palestine and Israel, but also to contribute to lasting peace in Gaza.
But in the Philippines, dreams are thwarted by the harsh reality of the country’s ongoing learning crisis. The country now faces the conundrum of moving beyond pandemic-era measures, still left in place years later, and towards an educational system that can stand fully on its own, without the need for short-term fixes and crutches.
Singapore 🇸🇬
How ASEAN Athletes Carve Their Path to the Winter Olympics
by Jennifer Hui En Tan, in Singapore
The highly anticipated Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026 is currently taking place from 6 to 22 February 2026. Despite the tropical climate of most of Southeast Asia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand have sent a total of seven qualified athletes to compete in the event – one of the highest number of ASEAN athletes sent to the Winter Olympics to date. Faiz Basha enters as Singapore’s first alpine skier athlete and Singapore’s only representative after eight years. But how do athletes from tropical countries like Singapore reach the world’s biggest winter sports stage?
Southeast Asia is famously known for its year-round tropical climate, which raises the question: how do athletes from the region train for the Winter Olympics? Faiz Basha spoke about being introduced to the world of skiing through his time in Switzerland. The barrier of entry towards becoming a Southeast Asian Winter Olympics athlete is extremely high due to the high cost of training overseas and the lack of resources within Southeast Asia for winter-related training and for athletes. The lack of domestic competition also discourages investors from investing, narrowing the chance and opportunity for individuals to not only enter winter sports but to excel.
Looking at all the Southeast Asian athletes, there is one thing in common: except for Thailand’s Karen Chanloung and Mark Chanloung who are both cross-country skiers, the other five qualified athletes are all alpine skiers. This is not a coincidence, as though the barrier of entry to qualify as a ski athlete is high, the barrier of entry to enter the Winter Olympics as a ski athlete compared to other sports such as figure skating and curling for example is not. The structural features of skiing qualifications unintentionally allow tropical nations easier access to participate in the Winter Olympics. The FIS basic quota guarantees at least one Olympic slot per country as long as the athlete meets a minimum point threshold which can be earned at open international races globally. This makes skiing uniquely accessible to athletes from tropical countries. Meanwhile, sports like figure skating, curling, or speed skating do not have basic quotas, but athletes must qualify through world championships where competition is tougher and dominated by traditional winter sport powerhouses.
However, despite the odds, Southeast Asian athletes who manage to enter the Winter Olympics expand the athletes’ country’s representation and recognition globally, which challenges geographic determinism. Despite the environmental disadvantage Southeast Asian athletes face, the determination demonstrated by their capability to be in the games proves that national visibility is not confined to traditional geographical boundaries, but rather talent, opportunity, and national identity. By being a part of the Winter Olympics, athletes not only diversify the global athletic landscape but reshape international perception of what countries can achieve.
The presence of Southeast Asian athletes at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics highlights how global sport is evolving beyond geographic boundaries. While systemic inequalities in access, funding, and training persist, representation can emerge even from structurally disadvantaged regions, challenging the narrative of who belongs on the Olympic stage in doing so. Ultimately, this paves the way for greater diversity in future games.
Jennifer is a final-year International Relations student at the Singapore Institute of Management, where she focuses on political engagement, diplomacy, and community governance. She is an active volunteer in her constituency, working closely with residents to understand local concerns, facilitate dialogue, and support community initiatives.
Vietnam 🇻🇳
Vietnam in Gaza: Opportunities and Challenges
by Sean Huy Vu
The Board of Peace, initiated by the United States (US) for the reconstruction of Gaza, held its first meeting on 18 February in Washington, D.C. The organization has three members from Southeast Asia: Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. On behalf of the Socialist Republic, General Secretary Tô Lâm flew to Washington on Wednesday to attend the Board’s inaugural meeting and meet with US President Donald Trump to potentially conclude a new trade deal after months of negotiation.
Vietnam’s participation on the Board could improve its relations with Israel and Palestine, as the nation has a history of strong relations with both states. The North Vietnam’s Communist Party and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) found solidarity with one another as they mutually perceived their armed conflicts as struggles against Western imperialism. The PLO opened its first representative office in Hanoi in 1969, in the midst of the Vietnam War, and Vietnamese General Võ Nguyên Giáp subsequently received PLO leader Yasser Arafat throughout the 1970s. In 1988, Vietnam officially recognized Palestine as a sovereign state, the first Southeast Asian country to do so.
Since normalizing relations in 1993, Vietnam and Israel have cooperated substantially in the areas of trade, agriculture, and defense. MASHAV, Israel’s agency for international development and humanitarian assistance, has trained over 1,000 Vietnamese students and career professionals in food security, water management, and technological innovation. From 2012–2021, Israel exported US$1.5 billion worth of arms to Vietnam, making it Hanoi’s second largest source of weapons. Vietnam’s procurement has recently focused on acquiring surface-to-air missile systems (SAM), spy satellites, and electronic warfare platforms. Vietnam, for its part, produces polymer grips for Israel pistols.
As of now, the Board of Peace lacks any sort of funding mechanism, strategy, or clear list of objectives for the reconstruction of Gaza. It is possible that the Palestinian Authority will replace Hamas as the sole government of the Strip, a suggestion Saudi Arabia has made. Trump once joked, in an AI-generated video posted on TruthSocial, of transforming Gaza into a luxury beach resort. The post not only reflects Trump’s experience in real estate, it is further evidence of his transactional approach to diplomacy, as it suggests he imagines multinational private contractors leading the rebuilding of Gaza’s infrastructural, telecommunications, and energy projects. Major Vietnamese corporations with some international market presence include Vietel and Vinfast, though it remains to be seen whether these entities could contribute to the reconstruction.
One way Vietnam can meaningfully contribute to peace in Gaza is through security oversight in the form of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission. Vietnam already has experience doing this in the Sudan–South Sudan conflict and in the Central African Republic (CAR). In 2014 in South Sudan, Vietnam contributed several Level-2 field hospitals, treating thousands of UN personnel and civilians. In addition to intelligence, logistics, and communications staffing, Vietnam has aided Sudan and the CAF in the form of civil engineering, constructing roads, bridges, and even classrooms. Such actions can be repeated in Gaza if given the opportunity.
Sean is a scholar of East Asian history, culture, and international relations, with current research at Georgetown University examining working-class labor and human trafficking in the region. His broader interests include the social psychology of religion and identity politics. Sean previously taught modern Korean history at the University of California, Irvine, where he completed his B.A. in History, and later taught English in Ho Chi Minh City while studying Vietnamese language and culture. His writing has been published by UC Irvine, Johns Hopkins University, and Foreign Analysis.
The Philippines 🇵🇭
Moving Beyond Pandemic Measures in Philippine Education
by Glenn Vincent N. Boquilon, in Angeles City
In recent weeks, the Department of Education (DepEd) and lawmakers are returning to a familiar but contentious topic: mass promotion. First introduced during the pandemic, the policy was designed to prevent students from being held back due to school closures. In this context, mass promotion allows students to advance to the next grade level even if they have learning gaps from the previous year. While the policy helped to avoid widespread grade retention during lockdowns, its continued use is now drawing criticism from educators, parents, and policymakers.
There is now growing momentum to phase out mass promotion and end the practice of grade transmutation, which seeks to convert failing marks into passing ones, allowing students to automatically move forward. Some of the critics of this policy highlight that it leaves learners unprepared for higher-grade work and contributes to learning deficiencies. Additionally, those who support this phase-out reiterate that the focus should now shift back to ensuring that students truly master competencies before they advance to the next grade level.
The renewed discussion on mass promotion comes after the release of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM2)’s Final Report, Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reforms (2026–2035). EDCOM2 is a Philippine commission tasked to undertake a comprehensive national assessment of the country’s education sector, and the report describes the country’s learning crisis as a long-standing problem that requires systemic reform and not short-term fixes. Additionally, the report enumerates gaps within service delivery, governance, teacher support, and accountability. Furthermore, the report notes that Filipino students have shown slight improvements in recent years. However, only a small percentage of these learners reach higher levels of proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics.
The Department of Education’s Secretary, ex-Senator Sonny Angara, has stated that the department had already begun reforms even before EDCOM2 released its report. One of the programs he mentioned was the Academic Recovery at Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, and he vowed to further create programs that address the learning crisis in the Philippines.
Across Southeast Asia, many education systems are still transitioning from emergency pandemic measures toward more standard practices. In Malaysia, blended learning platforms and teacher training programs launched during closures remain part of post-pandemic strategies. These seek to improve classroom readiness, offering a model for digital and face-to-face learning integration. Indonesia has pursued broader reforms under its Merdeka Belajar initiative, aiming to strengthen learning recovery, early childhood education, and student assessment after school disruptions. Regional agencies and studies also highlight the broader focus on learning recovery and education transformation across the Asia-Pacific.
As the Philippines weighs the future of mass promotion and other educational practices, the main goal is still centered on improving the education system, which is still recovering from years of disruption. While phasing out mass promotion may signal a return to higher standards, this also requires stronger support for teachers and learners who are still catching up. The success of these reforms will depend not only on policy changes but on how effectively they are carried out in classrooms across the country.
Glenn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Santo Tomas. His experience spans governance programs, policy development, and political research, having worked with the Ateneo School of Government and WR Numero Research on projects focused on electoral reform, public opinion, and regional development. He also helped coordinate the drafting of the Bangsamoro Local Government Code and supported the Academy of Multiparty Democracy.
Editorial Deadline 17/02/2026 11:59 PM (UTC +8)
